en_tn/mrk/12/20.md

There were seven brothers

The Sadducees tell Jesus a story because they want to ask him a question about it to test him. The story is not about things that really happened. Alternate translation: "Suppose there were seven brothers" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo)

the first

the first brother

the first took a wife

"the first brother married a woman." Here marrying a woman is spoken of as "taking" her.